So how many title shots are they going to let the guy talk himself into? Or I guess the more pertinent question is, how many times does he have to get beaten before people stop paying to watch him lose shots he doesn't deserve? And the thing that really sucks about it is that it's not even going to be a good fight. If he managed to turn his carnival barker crap into a fight that might have been competitive, maybe I could understand making the fight. But Jones is going to absolutely slaughter Sonnen. Henderson at least had the threat of his KO power to make things interesting.

Also, I fully expect Jones to have a whole new legion of people disliking him after this season. He's probably going to make himself look like an idiot.

So how many title shots are they going to let the guy talk himself into?

Tito Ortiz got a crack at Chuck Liddel with wins over Ken Shamrock and just off the Ultimate Fighter Forrest Griffin, and he continued to get high profile fights for a long time after. Sonnen puts butts in seats and buys on the PPV, so he gets high card positions.
And heck, Vitor Belfort meandered into a LHW title shot with wins over Akiyama and Anthony Johnson. Is this really that big of jump from that?

Not to say that I'm in favor of this AT ALL, I can just see how the UFC is going to push it (Jon Jones faces the man he ducked, blah blah blah, cue stupid sound bite from Sonnen, and Greg Jackson saying something that seems wise and profound until you examine it closer and realize it makes no sense whatsoever) and it'll probably make money, blast it to the lowest pits of Medengard.

And heck, Vitor Belfort meandered into a LHW title shot with wins over Akiyama and Anthony Johnson. Is this really that big of jump from that?

Yeah, but Belfort was what, the fourth guy down on the list of people they called for that? He was never pushed as anybody other than the guy who actually said yes because they needed a fight in a tough spot. I don't really see that as in the same league as deliberately planning and making a fight in which one participant has no business being in the same county as a title shot.

Don't get me wrong, I know why they keep giving him big bookings. It's the "giving" part that raises my hackles.

This is a clear message from DW and co. in the wake of the event cancellation.

Be a company guy, rewards. Plain as day. Besides, Sonnen will make it very very very entertaining. Win or lose the fight, people ARE going to tune in to the series.

I love some Hendo, and he was in line, but he got injured, and things shifted around. That's life, or more precisely, promotion.

EDIT: I was a very harsh critic of Sonnen, but when it counted he was there. That counts immensely, in this kind of sport. I would love to see him beat Jones. Unlikely, but can you imagine the smacktalk to follow?

This is a clear message from DW and co. in the wake of the event cancellation.

Be a company guy, rewards. Plain as day. Besides, Sonnen will make it very very very entertaining. Win or lose the fight, people ARE going to tune in to the series.

I love some Hendo, and he was in line, but he got injured, and things shifted around. That's life, or more precisely, promotion.

EDIT: I was a very harsh critic of Sonnen, but when it counted he was there. That counts immensely, in this kind of sport. I would love to see him beat Jones. Unlikely, but can you imagine the smacktalk to follow?

No. If we were talking about the Super Bowl and one of the teams couldn't show, they might go to the next team down, but they wouldn't go to just any team that volunteers and sells tickets. They would sooner cancel the game, or postpone it. That's life. This is shenanigans. This is sports entertainment, just like how Stone Cold Steve Austin became popular over great performers because he could get an emotional reaction out of people. Mike Tyson can get emotional reactions out of people to this day, but he doesn't get title shots anymore, after blowing the few they gave him out of grace, and that sport's as corrupt as it gets.

If this match needs to happen so badly, it should be an exhibition. That is a necessary aspect of the sport, and does not diminish the meaning of the championship or the sport.

Meh.
I've always been more a proponent of "To be the man, you gotta beat the man."
The corollary of which is "If you can beat the man, you are the man."
Don't speak to me of how Matt Serra is a bum who is unworthy of even touching GSP's gloves, the fact is that when it counted the short guy from Noo Yawk put the poster boy on his rump with extreme prejudice.
I may actually buy this fight, on the off chance that Sonnen can pull off a miracle. Although going purely by the past, I say Jones via triangle from guard in the 2nd.

This is a clear message from DW and co. in the wake of the event cancellation.

Be a company guy, rewards. Plain as day. Besides, Sonnen will make it very very very entertaining. Win or lose the fight, people ARE going to tune in to the series.

I love some Hendo, and he was in line, but he got injured, and things shifted around. That's life, or more precisely, promotion.

EDIT: I was a very harsh critic of Sonnen, but when it counted he was there. That counts immensely, in this kind of sport. I would love to see him beat Jones. Unlikely, but can you imagine the smacktalk to follow?

I don't agree with this. For the motherfucking sport to maintain legitimacy, motherfuckers need to earn their title shots and accolades and **** by being good in the motherfucking sport. Not by talking ****. Talking **** is not fighting, being good in one motherfucking thing does not make you automatically good in another. ****, this is like giving A-Rod a contract to play Cricket for the Delhi Daredevils because tickets might sell and ****.

**** that noise.

Originally Posted by Goju - joe

being a dick with skill is only marginally better than being a dick without skill.

I hear what a lot of you are saying but this really isn't the sky falling here. This is more of an issue with quantity of events vs quality of events. When they keep pumping out events at this rate your going to end up with **** fights. You are also going to have weird flukes like this when one guy gets injured and pretty much anyone who is willing to step up is going to get a fight.

They should have this fight at heavyweight, Jones would use Sonnen as a toothpick.
Sonnen gets a no chance title fight, Dana gets his TUF ratings and Jones thinks he'll get fans.
What does this have to do with fighting skill again?